Teetiri protects the grassland - 4 - Teetiraa wonders why he gets to sit under the hot Sun

Teetiraa wonders why he gets to sit under the hot Sun

He had better go and take over at the nest, Teetiraa said to himself. It was his duty to sit over the eggs from dawn to when the sun came up above the lone babool tree in the grassland. Teetiri had told him that she would only return when the shadow of the babool tree began to come over the nest. He would then be free to go to the wet marshy grounds near the river.

But Teetiraa would have to return to the nest once the sun's heat began to dry up the black marshy soil. That was when the shadow of the babool tree would no longer be above the nest. Dominga had once commented that this arrangement was funny and strange. How come that Teetiri seemed to get to sit on the eggs at night and whenever the shadow of the babool tree fell upon the nest? Why did he, Teetiraa, have to sit on the eggs only when the nest was unprotected from the harsh sun?

Teetiraa had wondered about it, and had meant to confront her today. But that “today” seemed to keep getting postponed everyday. Dominga had teased him about his hesitation. He had done so daily. Teetiraa had kept telling Dominga that he would exchange duty-timings at the nest with Teetiri today. But he had never done so. And, Dominga had not stopped teasing him. Nowadays, Dominga had begun bringing along Domingi, his partner, to feed at the scrub bushes near the marsh. They always kept tittering to themselves. Teetira suspected that Dominga had told his partner about the challenge and that she kept laughing at him for his failure to confront Teetiri.

Teetiraa had now decided to avoid Dominga. But this could not go on, he thought. Dominga was correct. Why did Teetiri get to sit on the nest at night and when it was under shadows. Why could he not sit on the nest when it was actually comfortable to do so? He had better ask her, ask her today, he thought. Dominga may go and tell this bit of useless gossip to Teetiraa's numerous brothers and cousins, who lived on the other side of the river. They would all begin to laugh at him.

Worse still, his cousins may stop inviting him to their hidden grassy patches inside the scrub forests. All the redwattled lapwing cousins, uncles and aunts and other distant relatives assembled together inside the scrub forests when the first rains brought out the termites. Wow. That was the best part of living, thought Teetiraa. All they had to do was stand around the termite mounds in the ground when the wingless termites came out in the thousands. They could catch them without even having to move around. They could keep eating them through the moonlit nights and sleep it off, happily, too tired to even go back to their regular day-to-day familiar grounds. He could not risk losing that invitation, thought Teetiraa.                               

Teetiri protects the grassland - 11 - Darzi says that Kokila was responsible

11

Darzi says that Kokila was responsible

Darzi was getting impatient. He knew what the problem was about. This was something new to Dominga and thus was not easily understood or accepted. He called Teetiri and Phoolchuki aside and spoke to them in a whisper. This was not something that was Dominga or Domingi’s fault, Darzi said. This was the evil Kokila at work. The Koel was a lazy bird, and therefore his partner, Kokila went about removing one egg from unguarded nests and replacing them with one of her own. Koel would never spend time or trouble in constructing his own nest. Kokila perhaps did not trust Koel to feed her at her nest if she did decide to sit on her own nests. And thus, Kokila went around searching for nests where she could hide her eggs.

Teetiri was shocked. She was learning about this for the first time in her life. As far as she knew, there were no nest raiders who replaced eggs of ground nesting birds. Phoolchuki had once heard about nest raiders on tree-nesting birds from one of her aunts who had had to raise a young Kokila chick in her nest.  The Kokila chick soon grew to be four times the size of her aunt, but she continued to feed it and take care of it, with all the love that only a mother can give. Her aunt had argued with her sisters and brothers that after all the Kokila chick was also an unprotected young bird, and if she could give food and love, and make sure that it flew away safely, she would be happy to do so. Phoolchuki’s father had not agreed but her mother had supported it. She was also a mother, wasn’t she? Who else would know a mother’s love, she had said.

Darzi said that the same incident had occurred with one of his aunts in the big fruit orchard that bordered their grassland. The village on the other side of the fruit orchard had many large tamarind, mango and banyan trees that were full of these evil Koel and Kokila birds. They came out from there, searching in the fruit orchards, the grasslands, the riverbanks and the forests. They searched for unprotected nests, that already had some eggs laid in them, and replaced one egg with one of their own. Did they do it with ground nesting birds, Teetiri asked, worried that it may happen with their nest when both Teetiri and Teetiraa left it unprotected? No, No, Darzi said, it was only with tree-nesting birds. The colours of the Kokila’s egg were such that it would easily be seen if left exposed to the sun, in the open grassland, if left in a ground-nest.

Darzi advised Phoolchuki and Teetiri that Dominga must not be told that the egg belonged to Kokila. For otherwise Dominga may go and destroy it. Teetiri also agreed. One egg belonging to Dominga and Domingi was in any case destroyed and lost forever. One should not destroy another egg, though it belonged to another bird, just because one had been destroyed. Phoolchuki also nodded in agreement. Yes, she said, just because it did not belong to you, it did not mean that you had the right to destroy it. Better that Phoolchuki or Teetiri went and told Domingi separately. Let Dominga not know. But what should they tell Dominga? Darzi told Phoolchuki and Teetiri not to worry. He would handle it himself. 

Teetiri protects the grassland - 19 - Salonki’s father spoke to Kaawla Chacha

19

Salonki’s father spoke to Kaawla Chacha

Salonki’s father had asked one of the crows about this brownish yellow animal. The eldest of the crows, Kaawla Chacha, had replied that this animal was ‘Billi’, the village cat. It was very bold, very fast, very quiet and very patient. And, most important of all, it was very dangerous. One should not even try flying close to it. It could jump up, quite high, and injure you with its claws. Why do you grassland and forest birds come inside the village anyway, Kaawla Chacha asked angrily. Why do you come to suffer so badly? Do you see any of the village birds roaming around in the grassland? Or do you see the waterbirds roaming around in the forest? Get some sense, act smart, and survive. Stay in your habitat, Kaawla Chacha gestured angrily at Salonki’s father. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive.

Salonki remembered all those unfortunate happenings very clearly. Salonki remembered Billi very clearly to this day. Only, he had not expected to see him inside the grassland, hiding in the marsh, and being an expert at camouflage, he told his partner. This animal in front of them, hiding away, very patiently in the marsh was Billi, Salonki told all her relatives. Why was it here, asked Salonki’s aunt, if it was supposed to be inside the village? If we should not go outside our habitat, what was this animal doing outside its village?

It must have come to the marsh to try its luck in hunting down some grassland birds, Salonki said. Okay. Salonki could also play this game. Salonki could also take this opportunity to take revenge for what had happened out there in the village that day. Kaawla Chacha had told Salonki’s father that day that Billi was smart and dangerous. Now let us see if Billi was indeed all that smart, Salonki told her partner. She flew to the lone babool stem to join Kotwal and Teetiri. Rapidly, she told them the story of that unfortunate day in the village when he had lost his brother.  Teetiri had never seen a cat. Billi? What was a Billi? Teetiri asked Salonki. Was it like Bhainsa, the buffalo? Was it like Gadheda, the donkey? Or, was it like Lombdi, the Wolf?

No, No, Kotwal and Salonki said together. It was not like Bhainsa, Gadheda or Lombdi, Kotwal said. This was a Cat, a Cat, a very dangerous animal, Salonki said. There are many types of cats, some large, some small, some spotted and some striped, Kotwal said. So, which one was this, he asked Salonki. Salonki only knew about the village cat from Kaawla Chacha and about how dangerous it was. Salonki herself had not seen Billi from very close. Whatever had been seen on that day in the village was a very fleeting glimpse of a very fast animal.

You won’t understand, Salonki told Teetiri. Do not just wait for it to come out. We have to bring Billi out of the marsh and chase it away from the grassland, Salonki said. They could not allow Billi to take over the marsh. The birds of the grassland would not be safe. No, No, Teetiri said, we have to fight for our grassland. I will fight for the grassland, Teetiri told Kotwal and Salonki, again and again. Not merely fight for the grassland, Salonki interrupted, we have to also humiliate Billi so that he would never return to the marsh and the grassland. It would be a big favour; could they do her this favour? Salonki asked Teetiri and Kotwal. Could they help her take revenge? It would help her feel better and forget the unfortunate happening of that day in the village. They needed to help her plan. It would also help to drive Billi away from the marsh. Teetiri and Kotwal agree to help fight Billi.

Teetiri protects the grassland - 34 - The grassland is busy with birds

34

The grassland is busy with birds

Shikra and Shaheen flew out of their hiding places, disgusted at this widespread disturbance. Both birds of prey flew across the river to go and perhaps search for some other grassland. But there did not seem to be any sight of Bater and his family. Kotwal’s father flew down to Salonki and asked her to send some mynas to a distant bunch of rocks and tall grass. Salonki flew towards her sister’s group of twelve mynas who were busy gossiping about the good nesting spots in the old bungalow inside the forest. Salonki’s sister was explaining that the bungalow was not in a good condition, without anyone living in it, and had begun to break apart. It was a good spot to choose for several nests this season. It would also stay cool during the summer.

Salonki asked her sister and her group of mynas to go and continue with their gossip at the distant bunch of rocks and tall grass. The small flock of mynas went to the spot as directed and continued with their conversation about the bungalow in the forest. Salonki could still hear her sister explaining all the good nesting qualities that the damaged house seemed to possess. They needed new nesting spots, undisturbed ones, that would provide security and peace for the new flocks of mynas. The village indeed had been able to give them good nesting spots, but Guturgu and the blue rock pigeons had taken over all the nesting spots that the mynas had. The house crows were in control of the trees and their nesting spots near the village.

Salonki’s sister and her flock were busy making plans to shift to the bungalow in the forest for the coming breeding season. But all the conversation was what was helpful, thought Kotwal to himself. Teetiri was intelligent. She knew that all the mynas loved to chatter. And that the chatter was going to be helpful in disturbing Billi and now to search for Bater.  Meanwhile, Kotwal’s father accompanied by Salonki, flew to a tall tree near Salonki’s sister and her flock of mynas. The chatter was good, and it would disturb anybody who lived in this patch of the grassland.

Sure enough, from among the rocks, out came Naag’s sister, followed by two scorpions and some grasshoppers. Those grasshoppers looked tasty, thought Kotwal’s father and decided to go after them. He quickly asked Salonki to tell Kotwal to come over to this area to search for Bater, and flew after the grasshoppers. Angry but helpless at this instinctive gesture by Kotwal’s father, Salonki flew off to ask Kotwal to come over to join up with her to search for Bater. Kotwal’s father, in the meantime, kept darting in and out of the bushes, intent upon catching the grasshoppers.